Invalid-bedstead



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. PRINCE. Invalid Bedstead.

No. 229,910. PatentedJUIylIS, 1880.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LOUIS PRINCE, OF NASHVILLE, OHIO.

lNVALlD-BEDSTEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,910, dated July 13,1880.

Application filed September 18, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LoUIs PRINCE, ofNashville, in the county of Holmes and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Invalid-Bedsteads, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to invalid-bedsteads in which the bed-bottom andmattress are made in three hinged sections and may be raised at an angleat the head and depressed at the foot to place the occupant in a sittingposition, and are furthermore supplied with a hammock or sheetingsuspended from rollers at the head and sides of the bed, for lifting thepatient bodily, for changing his position upon the bed, or for raisingeither the upper or lower portion of the body separately andindependently of the mechanism for operating the bed-bottom; and theimprovement consists, first, in the peculiar construction of themechanism for operating the bed-bottom and for holding it in position;second, in the peculiar construction of the framing for suspending andoperating the hammock, so that it may be readily disjointed for removaland transportation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved bedstead with the hammock-sheeting removed; Fig. 2, a centrallongitudinal section of the bedstead with the hammock raised above themattress; Fig. 8, a transverse vertical section in the line :0 x of Fig.2, with one side of the hammock raised to move the body to one side ofthe bed.

The bedstead A may be of the usual form and construction. The bed-bottomis formed in three sections, B B B hinged together, and the mattressformed in three corresponding sections, 0 U 0 the middle one of which isformed with a circular opening filled by a separate removable .cushion,0 below which a chamber-pan is attached, in this instance to thecross-slats of the section B of the bed-bottom. The middle section, B,of the bed-bottom is stationary with the bedstead, and the section B atthe head of the bed is hinged thereto in such manner that it may beraised at an angle with the middle portion, B, while the section B ishinged thereto in such manner that it may be depressed at an angletherewith to hold the patient in a sitting position, so that the chambermay be used, or for change of position. The bed-bottom sections areoperated by curved arms D D, secured to a shaft, E, extending across thebed below the bed-bottom, and journaled in the side boards of the bed-bottom. They extend entirely through the side boards of the bed, andare made square at their ends to receive a crankkey for turning theshaft. The arms D are arranged upon the sides of the bed, directlybeneath the side rails of the section B of the bed-bottom, so that theirfree ends will press against them when the shaft is turned, and raisethe head-section B to any required angle. Spring presser-arms F F,secured at one end to asha-ft, F, and to the stationary section B of thebed-bottom, bearagainst thehinged section B at the foot of the bed andserve to hold it in a horizontal position until the pressure of thespring is overcome by force applied thereto. This is accomplished byattaching the ends of link-chains G G to the sides of the hinged sectionB and the other end to arms E E of the shaft E, so that when the arms DD are operated to raise the head-section B the chain will draw upon thefoot-section B and, overcoming the pressure of the springs F F, willdepress ,it for the purpose specified.

By means of the chains G, operating upon the foot-section B a simple anddirect connection may be made with the shaft E, that operates thehead-section B,without the use of long levers, whose sweep or movementwould be too great within the limited space beneath the bed.

The crank-key has a ratchet-wheel secured to its shank, and a pawl, e,on the side board of the bed engages with its teeth and serves to holdthe head and foot sections at any desired angle. A bolt, H, turns instaples h h, secured to the foot-board, and has its end it bent at rightangles to its shank, so that it may be turned beneath the free end ofthe section B and securelyholdit against unusual strains and accidentaldepressing.

The chains G G are arranged slack, so that the arms D D may partiallylift the head-section to raise the patients body a limited distance,when desired, without acting upon the hinged section at the foot of thebed.

The patient may be raised entirely fromthe bed, in order that the bedmay be rearranged,

by means of the hammock or section I, suspended by cords I from rollersI at the sides and 1 at the ends of the bed. The rollers are supportedby frames K Kupon opposite sides of the bed. The frames are heldtogether by a cross-piece, K, reaching from one frame to the other, andprovided with dovetailed ends that fit in corresponding mortises in therails of the frame K K. Plates K pivoted to the frames K, extend acrossthe end of the crosspiece K and hold it down in its mortise. The freeend of the plate engages with a pin, 70, on the rail of the frame andlocks the parts together. By turning the plate on its pivot k thecross-piece may be removed. The end rollers, I also serve ascross-braces to the frame, and, together with the cross-piece K, holdthe frame together. The end rollers are also held in their position bypivoted platesJ J, similar to the plate K so that the rollers may bereadily removed and the frame taken apart when it is not to be used.

Ratchet-wheels L on the rollers and pawl L on the frame serve to holdthe rollers from turning at any desired point.

The rollers I are supported on slotted plates 1, secured to the uprightpieces of the side frames, K, and may also be removed.

The ends of the rollers are provided with a square iron rod, upon whicha crank-arm key, M, may be placed to turn the rollers. The crank-key Mis also provided with a ratchet wheel, m, and maybe used to operatetheshaft E, the ratchet-Wheel beingheld in any desired position by thepawl c.

The patient may be raised entirely from the bed by means ofthehammock,orone side roller only may be used, as shown in Fig. 3, toroll or slide the patient over to one side of the bed, in order that thecushion C may be removed to have communication with the basin. An

the outer and inner sides of the side' boards of the bed, and the lowerwooden end of the upright rests upon the top edge of the side board ofthe bed; Guide and retaining plates N, screwed to the side boards of thebed, either upon the outer or inner or both sides of the side board,receive and hold the plates closely in position and serve to prevent thelower part of the frame from spreading.

I claim- 1. In aniuvalids bed, the combination of the bed-bottom formedof three hinged sections, B B E the lifting-arms D, and shaft E, foroperating the headsection, the flexible chains G, connecting short armsof the shaft E with the section B, and spring-arms for pressing againstthe under side of the foot-section, whereby the head and foot sectionsmay be operated together in a direct manner, substantially as described.

2..The framing for supporting the rollers and hammock, made indetachable jointed sections, and consisting of the side frames, K, thedetachable end rollers, 1 and the cross-piece K, connecting thelongitudinal pieces of the side frames by loose dovetailed joints andretainingplates, so that the frame may be disjointed tor removal orstorage, substantially as described.

' LOUIS FRINGE. Witnesses:

L. LOWE, WM. H. ROWE.

